POSSIBILITY OF THE HYDROGEN DEPOLARIZATION PHENOMENON OF MILD STEEL BY SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA.

Abstract

The corrosion behavior of mild steel was investigated in a culture where hydrogen gas was bubbled. A dual cell system was employed; that is, in the first cell the bacteria produced hydrogen sulfide which was introduced into the second cell by hydrogen gas. The electrode potential and polarization resistance of the specimens in both of the cells were measured. The variations of electrode potential and corrosion rate of the steel in both cells could be explained, corresponding to the variation of the concentration of hydrogen sulfide. It is concluded that in order to prevent the corrosion by bacteria in practice, a desalting plant ought to be designed to eliminate organic substances as much as possible.